Visiting Qatari Minister for Labour and Social Affairs Sultan bin Hasan Al-Dhabit Al-Dosari and Foreign Affairs advisor Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury signed the supplementary protocol as the two countries signed a labour agreement in 1988.

''We've very good relations with Bangladesh. Bangladeshi workers have been working in Qatar for a long time. We want more and more workers from this country,'' the Qatari Minister told a joint press briefing after signing the protocol.

Under the protocol a joint committee will sit regularly to discuss and resolve all labour issues.

Qatar is interested in recruiting skilled professionals like academicians, engineers and IT experts apart from semi and unskilled workers.

More than 15,000 workers went to Qatar in 2007. Currently some 70,000 Bangladeshi workers are employed over there.

Foreign Advisor Mr Chowdhury said the protocol would ensure Bangladeshi workers' interests including their wages and other facilities.

He said Qatar needs skilled professionals like professors for its universities as well as engineers and IT experts for gas, engineering and technology sectors.

The Advisor said the Qatari authorities and the people are extremely happy with the hardwork and sincerity of the Bangladeshi workers.

Bangladesh earned over 6.5 billion dollars in 2007 as remittance from its expatriate workers. Last year, more than 6,00,000 workers went abroad with jobs.

Apart from the labour issue, the two sides discussed cooperation in oil and energy sector. Qatar expressed its willingness in developing Bangladesh's gas sector.

The Foreign Advisor said Bangladesh can share technology with Qatar in gas sector and import fertilizer from the Gulf state.